MERIDIAN, Idaho — Military families won’t have to pay a dime to see the best Pro-4 stock car racers in the Intermountain West on Saturday night at ASA-sanctioned Meridian Speedway.
Saturday is Military Appreciation Night at the racetrack as it hosts the Project Filter All-Star Challenge for Pro-4 racers who are always at the historic quarter-mile, such as 2010 series champion Ken Chandler of Boise, Idaho, and 2011 series points leader Joe Barton of Nampa, Idaho, to out-of-towners who run the Northwest Pro-4 Alliance such as reigning champion Kurt Madsen of Herriman, Utah, Eddie Secord of Oak Hills, Calif., and Terry Rennick of Brooks, Ore.
Northwest Pro-4 Alliance racers hail from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, California and British Columbia.
Saturday’s Project Filter 75 serves as the opener for the Northwest Pro-4 Alliance’s fifth season.
The West Coast Vintage Racers series also will run at the Meridian track for the first time this season, bringing back racecars that used to be mainstays at the paved quarter-mile oval in the 1960s and 1970s.
WCVR president Marv Price said fans can expect vintage sprintcars and midgets and maybe some modifieds. The car count is expected to reach about 25 and drivers are coming from parts of Idaho, Oregon and Washington as well as Salt Lake City and Sacramento, Calif.
“The quality is very high, the appearance is excellent, and we should have a good variety of racecars,” Price said.
The vintage sprintcars will hold an open practice at the speedway from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. The track will be open to the public for this special chance to see machines from years gone by get back on the pavement. Drivers come from all over the Northwest, and Saturday marks the second series stop of 2011.
Local divisions on the slate for Saturday include the College of Western Idaho Professional Truck Driving Street Stocks and the Tates Rents Hornets.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Military families will get through the gates for free when presenting a military ID.
General admission is $10 for adults with a $2.50 discount for senior citizens and a $4 discount for children ages 7-11. Children 6 and younger get in free.
A family pass — new for the 2011 season — is $34 and allows admission for a family of two adults and up to four children.
Fans can obtain tickets online at www.meridianspeedway.com, print them off at home and avoid the long lines on race night.
For more information, call (208) 888-2813 or visit the speedway’s website.
Meridian Speedway
2011 points standings
After May 14 races
CWI PTD Street Stocks — 1. Melissa Weaver, Nampa, 212 points; 2. Chad Bess, Nampa, 166; 3. Pat Tully, Caldwell, 137; 4. Jeffrey Meads, Nampa, 120; 5. Jim Anderson, Meridian, 115 6. Shawn Hansen, Boise, 106; 7. Marv Weaver, Nampa, 94; 8. Tyler Nelson, Kuna, Idaho, 89; 9. Gale Carter, Boise, 81; 10. Travis Pavlacky, Fruitland, Idaho, 58
Project Filter Pro-4s — 1. Joe Barton, Nampa, 107 points; 2. Ken Chandler, Boise, 92; 3. Jim Bailey, Middleton, 85; 4. Dayne Amyx, Boise, 65; 5. Rob Taylor, Boise, 42; 6. Jordan Fitch, Meridian, 16; 5. D.J. Lyons, Nampa, 12
Tates Rents Hornets — 1. Josh Parkkila, Boise, Idaho, 161 points; 2. Jonathan Hull, Boise, 152; 3. Art Heath, Nampa, 144; 4. Lance Vanderpool, Nampa, 137; 5. Brendon Fries, Meridian, 130; 6. Rosalee Weller, Caldwell, 127; 7. James Pahl, Caldwell, 114; 8. Fred Nagele, Boise, 113; 9. (tie) Sharlet Patero, Mountain Home, 111; Monica Heath, Caldwell, 111
NAPA Late Model Sportsman — 1. Tyler Bailey, Middleton, Idaho, 178 points; 2. Tyler Monroe, Star, Idaho, 173; 3. Chris Fenton, Meridian, Idaho, 168; 4. Connor Elliott, Meridian, Idaho, 103; 5. Dan Lowther, Boise, 97; 6. Jeffrey Wilson, Mountain Home, Idaho, 90; 7. Travis Anderson, Boise, 89; 8. (tie) Dennis Wurtz II, Boise, Idaho, 70; Josh Jackson, Ontario, Ore., 70; 10. Kane Thomasson, Kuna, Idaho, 55
ESI Express ASA Modifieds — 1. Shelby Stroebel, Nampa, Idaho, 250 points; 2. Tom Hill, Eagle, Idaho, 221; 3. Tony Ackerland, Star, Idaho, 181; 4. Chris Fenton, Meridian, Idaho, 175; 5. Jentry Pisca, Nampa, 152; 6. Jeffrey Hill, Meridian, 112; 7. Rick Fowble, Twin Falls, Idaho, 98; 8. (tie) Rus Ward, Boise, 94; Darrel Dolling, Boise, 94; 10. Lee Hackney, Boise, Idaho, 92
Pepsi Sprintcars — 1. Joe Ransom, Boise, 170 points; 2. Eric Ransom, Boise, 146; 3. Rob Grice, Boise, 123; 4. Carl Marcum, Meridian, 122; 5. Mike Murgoitio, Meridian, 115; 6. Kelly Newman, Boise, 108; 7. Josh Allen, Meridian, 87; 8. Kelly Perkins, Nampa, 74; 9. Wyatt King, Meridian, 68; 10. (tie) Erik Miller, Caldwell, Idaho, 67; Ryan Wiederich, Meridian, 67
Mtn. Dew Winged Sprints — 1. Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho, 79 points; 2. (tie) Mike Murgoitio, Meridian, 64; Bryan Warf, Meridian, 64; 4. Cody Veenstra, Emmett, Idaho, 60; 5. Chris Ratterree, Nampa, 55; 6. Johnny Giesler, Meridian, 43; 7. Wyatt King, Meridian, 39
Domino’s Pizza Legends — 1. (tie) Cameron Cotta, Meridian, 75 points; Camron Madsen, Boise, 75; 3. Phil Zubizareta, Boise, 71; 4. Jimmy Ingham, Meridian, 70; 5. Johnathan Davis, Emmett, Idaho, 52; 6. Rod Stiller, Meridian, 45; 7. Chase Gilbertson, Boise, 41; 8. Zach Blume, Eagle, Idaho, 37; 9. Darin Turpen, Nampa, 35; 10. Caitlin Stroebel, Nampa, 32
Edmark Mini Stocks — 1. Dell Scott, Nampa, 189 points; 2. Ray Bolinger, Meridian, 182; 3. Tyler Burlingame, Meridian, 179; 4. Scott Shoecraft, Boise, 178; 5. Eddie Ables, Middleton, 162; 6. Donovan Parker, Kuna, 135; 7. Jason Sanders, Caldwell, 116; 8. Larry Hull III, Boise, 91; 9. Sarah Shaw, Boise, 73; 10. Josh Jackson, Ontario, Ore., 63
Thunder Dogs — 1. The Catfish (John Pinkston, Meridian), 145 points; 2. IP Freely Too (Nick Forsea, Richland, Ore.), 133; 3. Fare Lady (Kennon Irons, Boise), 129; 4. Screaming Keegan (Cory Keegan, Meridian), 124; 5. The Sledgehammer (Dave Jolley, Nampa), 118; 6. IP Freely (Brian Duvall, Kuna), 112; 7. Gone Fishin (Big Al), 100; 8. Big Tuna (Stan Irons, Boise), 96; 9. Furyus (Ben Frisbee, Meridian), 80; 10. Clifford the Big Red Thunder Dog (Travis Pavlacky, Fruitland), 76
Jr. Stingers — 1. Cody Garrett, Boise, 94 points; 2. Hunter Gates, Nampa, 69; 3. Chance Davis, Emmett, Idaho, 66; 4. Tyson Fuss, Kuna, 51; 5. (tie) Tyler Sharp, 48; Jordan Kirkland, Boise, 48; 7. Matt Burger, Meridian, 45; 8. Kendra Occhipinti, Nampa, 44; 9. Andrew Hale, 35; 10. Ali Norto
